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One stick, securing the stick?

J

Jokerswild

Active Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2019
Messages
163
Does anyone tie off their one stick to prevent dropping it? If so how? To you, the tether?

I love the idea of one stick. but worried about being stuck up a tree like a cat if I drop my stick!
 
I can see a dropped or kicked stick being " jammed" where pulling it up with the hook would be an issue? No?
 
I run an 88" daisy chain with shock cord on the end. I have in the past clipped that shock cord into my lineman's belt carabiner in order to let it hang while I worked something and hung from my tether. I did 2 more stick moves up the tree with it simply clipped there. It seemed to be functional as a good way to keep me from dropping the stick.

I just passed the cord around keeping the daisy chain on the back side of the tree, stick to the left, clipped in chain on my right. That gave me plenty of slack to work without hitting the end of my leash.
 
Jokerswild said:
I can see a dropped or kicked stick being " jammed" where pulling it up with the hook would be an issue? No?
Click to expand...
Yes. I had that happen once. I used my extra tether, put it on the tree at chest level, tied a loop into it for my foot and slowed worked myself down the tree to the stick.
 
It is great that you are thinking about the “what if’s”. In the military we used an acronym VUCA environments and always tried to figure out possible scenario so that we could prepare and train for them before they actually happened. It is much easier to practice something like this in your backyard with a cell phone in your pocket to call for backup. Then when it happens in the woods it is no big deal.

You don’t want to be the guy that got stuck up a tree with only the top portion of his climbing stand and had to call 911!!!!
 
only the top portion of his climbing stand and had to call 911!!!

i was THAT guy many years ago before the climbers came with tethers. Got ticked off and dropped the hand climber as well. And there I was....... This was before safety lines or compression straps got popular.

No cell signal. No one coming til morning. ME- OWW. Got real uncomfortable real fast! I hugged the tree, reached up and cut my strap. Slid down fireman style. WHEW!

We used to use home made ladders, some home made stands...After my cat up a tree moment I got educated and careful. I immediately became tree stand safety guy. Life lines on everything. Foot climber foot bungees, and climbing safety straps. Those straps also stabilize the climber at set up height. no more steps.- good sticks and ladders.

So yes, I try to think of and plan ahead for self rescue. I teach hunter safety so I try to prepare my students for these situations BEFORE they happen. I love archery and whitetails...but the struggle is real if something goes haywire. We all know someone who is disabled or had massive medical bills from a fall.
 
I just passed the cord around keeping the daisy chain on the back side of the tree, stick to the left, clipped in chain on my right. That gave me plenty of slack to work without hitting the end of my leash.

Trying to visualize this....pictures????
 
Jokerswild said:
I just passed the cord around keeping the daisy chain on the back side of the tree, stick to the left, clipped in chain on my right. That gave me plenty of slack to work without hitting the end of my leash.

Trying to visualize this....pictures????
Click to expand...

I'll try and take some later today. But basically when I moved my stick up, I'm hanging from my tether using my feet to keep my body oriented to the tree.

Undo daisy chain. Stick in left hand, daisy chain in right with the very end clipped to my right hip. Move stick up, reset daisy chain. Wash, rinse, repeat. I just never let the daisy chain or stick go back around the tree, similar to the way your lineman's belt functions. And my daisy chain happens to be long enough to allow this.
 
Never saw the need to strap into the stick. Numerous ways down without stick - linemen’s belt, platform, aiders, daisy chains, & I keep a pull rope with grapple hook.
 
Personally I wouldn’t one stick without also rappelling down so the drop of a stick would mean rappelling down to get it and start the climb again
 
There is a guy on some of the FB saddle groups who has what appears to be paracord going from the back of his saddle to his stick. If he loses the stick he just pulls it back up. Have to have enough slack for your movement obviously.
 
bowhuntr09 said:
There is a guy on some of the FB saddle groups who has what appears to be paracord going from the back of his saddle to his stick. If he loses the stick he just pulls it back up. Have to have enough slack for your movement obviously.
Click to expand...
I've seen that, too. That's actually where I got the idea to just clip that daisy chain on.
 
I have 2 back ups. A rappel rope and Doyle’s hoist with a gear grappler. I have picked up sticks with a gear grappler

Or I can rappel down and pick it up. But a grapple works. I have tried it a few times.
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Most folks seem to just tie a section of paracord to the stick and the saddle. It only drops so far at that point.


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I have a piece of paracord tied at the top of the stick and the other end attached wherever I can get it, saddle, tether, lineman’s loop, backpack, leg strap. As long as I can get to the string if I need it and it’s not getting in the way as I climb. Never needed it, but I’d hate to be stuck without it.
 
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That’s why I rappel down. If I drop the stick. I will just rappel down and get it.


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